Disney has officially announced Zootopia 3 at the D23 event currently taking place in the United States, expanding its record breaking animated movie franchise.
The studio confirmed the new project during a presentation that also detailed upcoming animation projects alongside new Star Wars and Marvel works. Disney has not yet announced an official release date for the third movie.
Box Office Success
The decision to greenlight the sequel follows massive commercial success for the animated series. Zootopia 2, which was released last year, raised the box office bar by grossing a total of 1.86 billion dollars worldwide. The figure established a new record for Hollywood produced animated films.
In the overall global box office standings, Zootopia 2 ranks just behind the Chinese animated feature Ne Zha 2. The accomplishment built upon the success of the original Zootopia film, which debuted in 2016 and grossed 1 billion dollars globally.
Following the record breaking returns of the second installment, Disney moved forward without losing time to approve Zootopia 3 for production.
Plot and Characters
The Zootopia franchise is set in a modern world where anthropomorphic animals speak, work, and live together in cities in the same manner as human beings.
The central storyline follows Judy Hopps, an idealistic rabbit who fulfilled her dream of becoming a police officer, and Nick Wilde, a fox who initially acts out of self interest before revealing his inner goodness. In the second film, Judy and Nick investigate a major mystery after Gary De'Snake arrives in Zootropolis and turns the city upside down.
D23 Presentation
Disney revealed the upcoming sequel as part of its ongoing D23 expo in the United States, where the company highlights upcoming projects across its various entertainment divisions. Along with animation updates, the event featured announcements for new Star Wars and Marvel productions.
Although Disney officially confirmed Zootopia 3 during the event, the studio stated that no clear release date has been set for the movie at this time.
